Toyota to recall 1.1 million vehicles globally due to airbag defects

Toyota Motor Corp. will recall 1.1 million cars around the world to fix defects in airbags that cause them to be deployed unintentionally. Naoto Fuse, spokesman for Toyota, said the airbag problems have resulted into minor injuries like abrasions in 18 cases that have been reported. Two accidents related to the airbag defects were reported by customers outside Japan.

However, the carmaker was not able to confirm the reports. Fuse disclosed that an IC chip in the airbag control unit can malfunction when it receives electrical interference from other components in the car, causing the airbags to unnecessary deploy. Toyota will add an electrical signal filter to the airbag control module to the recalled vehicles – a process which would just take an hour to an hour-and-a-half.

Fuse, however, did not disclose the costs involved. The airbag defect recall affects 752,000 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles in the United States. Meanwhile, Toyota will also recall 385,000 Lexus IS and its series, including 270,000 Lexus IS vehicles in the USE due to wiper issues, according to Fuse.

The wiper arm nut of the front wiper in the concerned vehicles may not be tight enough. The wiper may also not work under certain weather occasions, including in snow, according to Fuse. Toyota will replace the nut in repairs that will take just around 30 minutes.